User Reviews (14)

Strong, light, fast- I'm 200 lbs, and the SLs hold true at high speed in corners. They are tough, fast and a good looking wheelset.

Weakness:

None

I paid over $1000 for these, and totally worth it...great looks, exceptional performance, and good durability. AAA+++

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

chuck

[May 07, 2013]

Strength:

Strong, light, fast- I'm 200 lbs, and the SLs hold true at high speed in corners. They are tough, fast and a good looking wheelset.

Weakness:
None

I paid over $1000 for these, and totally worth it...great looks, exceptional performance, and good durability. AAA+++

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

Hannes
Triathlete [Jan 20, 2013]

Strength:

Very stiff and very strong!

Weakness:

Weight!

This is my first official set of deep sections but being part of a triathlon team I have ridden with a few Zipp's and Easton's.
They are both lighter than the Mavic's but the durability and flex on them had me worried from beginning to end as I am 1,93m and 90kg's at race weight. But the moment I got on these Mavic's I could feel the support, they corner like a dream and you have more 'feel' for the road.
I would gladly use these instead of a lighter set of much more expensive full carbon wheels. It's easier to lose 300g than pay 10k more anyway!
And besides, you have to admit that these babies are gorgeous!!!

OVERALLRATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

Hannes Triathlete

[Jan 20, 2013]

Strength:

Very stiff and very strong!

Weakness:
Weight!

This is my first official set of deep sections but being part of a triathlon team I have ridden with a few Zipp's and Easton's.
They are both lighter than the Mavic's but the durability and flex on them had me worried from beginning to end as I am 1,93m and 90kg's at race weight. But the moment I got on these Mavic's I could feel the support, they corner like a dream and you have more 'feel' for the road.
I would gladly use these instead of a lighter set of much more expensive full carbon wheels. It's easier to lose 300g than pay 10k more anyway!
And besides, you have to admit that these babies are gorgeous!!!

OVERALLRATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

Mike Acosta
Road Racer [Apr 17, 2012]

Strength:

It is a very stiff rim, even laterally it doesn't seem to flex so it feels very solid in corners. It is aero and fast.

Weakness:

Weight.

Comparing the Carbones to my other wheelsets, Easton Ascent lls and Mavic Ksyrium Elites. Yes the Carbones take a little longer to spool up but, once you get up to speed they hold their speed very well. In the flats, pedaling seems effortless compared to my other 2 wheelsets...even into head winds the bike feels like it's slicing through the wind. I haven't had a day on the bike yet, where there wasn't any wind, so I can't wait to see how much of an improvement they'll make on a 20 mile ride I do in one hour at 75-80 per cent effort on a still day. I have no doubt these wheels will do just that. Love these wheels!

OVERALLRATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

Mike Acosta Road Racer

[Apr 17, 2012]

Strength:

It is a very stiff rim, even laterally it doesn't seem to flex so it feels very solid in corners. It is aero and fast.

Weakness:
Weight.

Comparing the Carbones to my other wheelsets, Easton Ascent lls and Mavic Ksyrium Elites. Yes the Carbones take a little longer to spool up but, once you get up to speed they hold their speed very well. In the flats, pedaling seems effortless compared to my other 2 wheelsets...even into head winds the bike feels like it's slicing through the wind. I haven't had a day on the bike yet, where there wasn't any wind, so I can't wait to see how much of an improvement they'll make on a 20 mile ride I do in one hour at 75-80 per cent effort on a still day. I have no doubt these wheels will do just that. Love these wheels!

Weight; or you could pay a ton more for the better versions and still only save a few grams.

I put the wheelset on my aerodynamic road bike and they look and ride like they were made for each other.
I know these are normally for race only or whatever, but screw that... If I paid over a grand, I wanna show 'em off and use 'em! They take a banging every now and then; the roads aren't always smooth but no problems.
I've seen these on other bikes and they make any bike look good.

Weakness:
Weight; or you could pay a ton more for the better versions and still only save a few grams.

I put the wheelset on my aerodynamic road bike and they look and ride like they were made for each other.
I know these are normally for race only or whatever, but screw that... If I paid over a grand, I wanna show 'em off and use 'em! They take a banging every now and then; the roads aren't always smooth but no problems.
I've seen these on other bikes and they make any bike look good.

Similar Products Used:
N/A

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

Tim Hanson
Road Racer [Aug 30, 2011]

Strength:

Light, stiff, hold speed well, accelerate quickly. Look great.

Weakness:

If you HAVE to pick a nit, they're not Zipp 1080's, and that's OK.

They are everything I hoped they'd be. Yes, they're not full carbon, but they don't need to be. For my type of riding they're perfect: TT only, on flat, windy courses. Plus, at 205 lbs, I'm a little leery of full carbon wheels.

A lot of literature about the SL's said they would hold speed, accelerate well on the flats and be stable in a crosswind. It was all true. They also a stiff, but comfortable.

The wheels also look great and appear like were made for the bike. Have received a lot of compliments.

The first time ever riding them was in a 10 mile TT. Took 40 second off my PR. They're good......

Similar Products Used:
Felt TTR 4's

OVERALLRATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

Tim Hanson Road Racer

[Aug 30, 2011]

Strength:

Light, stiff, hold speed well, accelerate quickly. Look great.

Weakness:
If you HAVE to pick a nit, they're not Zipp 1080's, and that's OK.

They are everything I hoped they'd be. Yes, they're not full carbon, but they don't need to be. For my type of riding they're perfect: TT only, on flat, windy courses. Plus, at 205 lbs, I'm a little leery of full carbon wheels.

A lot of literature about the SL's said they would hold speed, accelerate well on the flats and be stable in a crosswind. It was all true. They also a stiff, but comfortable.

The wheels also look great and appear like were made for the bike. Have received a lot of compliments.

The first time ever riding them was in a 10 mile TT. Took 40 second off my PR. They're good......

Similar Products Used:
Felt TTR 4's

OVERALLRATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

sneakyracer
Recreational Rider [Dec 19, 2010]

Strength:

Performance (all aspects), looks and ride

Weakness:

weight

This Review is for the 2010 Cosmic SL (w/ new updated graphics)

Awesome wheels. They roll very smooth and the ride quality is nice. The wheels accelerate very well and hold speed incredibly well. They are not super light wheels, but I weight 190 lbs so I am not light either and the wheels feel very solid under all conditions. I recently rode a very familiar 40 mile route and I immediately noticed that I was using a higher gear and when I reviewed the GPS data I found out that I was going about 1mph or more faster overall at least. BUT, on the section with the stiff cross/headwind I was going much faster than I could under similar conditions with other wheels, closer to 2mph easy.

I have ready about aero wheels being a handful with high crosswinds. Well, on the first ride with the wheels I went out and encountered a stiff crosswind only a few miles after starting out, had to "deal with it for 30-40 min easy. But lo and behold, I didnt notice any difference compared to other non aero wheels. Nothing. The bike was not a handful at all.

Whoever says aero wheels do not make you faster hasnt used a set! (or do not want you to use one!). I am not a super athlete. On my solo rides I have to make a great effort to average 19mph overall solo on mainly flat terrain (without a wind I can average 21-22mph solo for extnded periods but not for an entire 2hr ride) in a wide range of conditions. These wheels feel awesome.

Bottom line, unless you need/want a very light wheel this is probably the best overall (clincher) wheel made for daily use under a wide variety of conditions. Awesome combination of speed, durability, ride and looks. They are proven.

Awesome wheels. They roll very smooth and the ride quality is nice. The wheels accelerate very well and hold speed incredibly well. They are not super light wheels, but I weight 190 lbs so I am not light either and the wheels feel very solid under all conditions. I recently rode a very familiar 40 mile route and I immediately noticed that I was using a higher gear and when I reviewed the GPS data I found out that I was going about 1mph or more faster overall at least. BUT, on the section with the stiff cross/headwind I was going much faster than I could under similar conditions with other wheels, closer to 2mph easy.

I have ready about aero wheels being a handful with high crosswinds. Well, on the first ride with the wheels I went out and encountered a stiff crosswind only a few miles after starting out, had to "deal with it for 30-40 min easy. But lo and behold, I didnt notice any difference compared to other non aero wheels. Nothing. The bike was not a handful at all.

Whoever says aero wheels do not make you faster hasnt used a set! (or do not want you to use one!). I am not a super athlete. On my solo rides I have to make a great effort to average 19mph overall solo on mainly flat terrain (without a wind I can average 21-22mph solo for extnded periods but not for an entire 2hr ride) in a wide range of conditions. These wheels feel awesome.

Bottom line, unless you need/want a very light wheel this is probably the best overall (clincher) wheel made for daily use under a wide variety of conditions. Awesome combination of speed, durability, ride and looks. They are proven.

These are strong, stiff wheels. I am 80-82kg and there is no noticeable flex even when I am stomping out of saddle. Turn in is excellent, which gives confidence when cornering. These are not fragile carbon wheels that I have to be ginger with.

These wheels certainly feel fast, and seems to enable me to go at a higher gear than norm (as echo'ed by the rest of the testers here). I have only had them for a few weeks, and initial observation from my regular time trial loop is that my 2 hour TT has been reduced by at least 6mins, which is ~5% improvement. Would have to go for a few more rides before I can confirm tangible time savings, but they sure feel fast.

Weakness:

Technically, they are not carbon wheels (like the tubular ZIP 404s or Mavic Cosmic Carbone Ultimate), the rims are made of alloy and only the fairings are made of carbon. But that does not detract from the fact that they are strong, aero, fast wheels.

I can save considerable weight by going to full carbon tubular wheels, but I just can't be ass'ed with pre-stretching tubulars and bringing around sticky tape/glue.

Have been looking out for a used set (to save some $$), because I was after a set of strong aero wheels. Being 6ft and 80+kg, I managed to get my OEM Ksyrium Equipe rear wheel out of true in about a year, so I am very concerned about strength of carbon/aero wheels. Being a poor climber, I tend to stomp up the steeper hills (not many in Singapore), so I am after wheels with minimal flex.

On the vanity side, the naked carbon weave on the wheels matched my 2005 Scott CR1's naken carbon weave very well. Add to that the carbon Profile Design Lightning Stryke clip-on aero bar and we are bordering on carbon overload here. :-) I also prefer the more "understated" decals on the SL Premium (versus the louder yellow decals on the SL), which go very well with the white decals on my 2005 Scott CR1.

Overall a fast, stiff wheelset that looks great. Who cares that they are nt technically carbon wheels (more below)?

I am considering to use them as my full-time training & race wheels. Is anyone doing the same and has that worked well for you?

These are strong, stiff wheels. I am 80-82kg and there is no noticeable flex even when I am stomping out of saddle. Turn in is excellent, which gives confidence when cornering. These are not fragile carbon wheels that I have to be ginger with.

These wheels certainly feel fast, and seems to enable me to go at a higher gear than norm (as echo'ed by the rest of the testers here). I have only had them for a few weeks, and initial observation from my regular time trial loop is that my 2 hour TT has been reduced by at least 6mins, which is ~5% improvement. Would have to go for a few more rides before I can confirm tangible time savings, but they sure feel fast.

Weakness:
Technically, they are not carbon wheels (like the tubular ZIP 404s or Mavic Cosmic Carbone Ultimate), the rims are made of alloy and only the fairings are made of carbon. But that does not detract from the fact that they are strong, aero, fast wheels.

I can save considerable weight by going to full carbon tubular wheels, but I just can't be ass'ed with pre-stretching tubulars and bringing around sticky tape/glue.

Have been looking out for a used set (to save some $$), because I was after a set of strong aero wheels. Being 6ft and 80+kg, I managed to get my OEM Ksyrium Equipe rear wheel out of true in about a year, so I am very concerned about strength of carbon/aero wheels. Being a poor climber, I tend to stomp up the steeper hills (not many in Singapore), so I am after wheels with minimal flex.

On the vanity side, the naked carbon weave on the wheels matched my 2005 Scott CR1's naken carbon weave very well. Add to that the carbon Profile Design Lightning Stryke clip-on aero bar and we are bordering on carbon overload here. :-) I also prefer the more "understated" decals on the SL Premium (versus the louder yellow decals on the SL), which go very well with the white decals on my 2005 Scott CR1.

Overall a fast, stiff wheelset that looks great. Who cares that they are nt technically carbon wheels (more below)?

I am considering to use them as my full-time training & race wheels. Is anyone doing the same and has that worked well for you?

What impressed me the most was their ability to hold high speeds. For long flat rides they are great.

Weakness:

They are a bit harder to get up, primarily due to their weight, but once you get there its smooth sailing!

Fantastic upgrade for the money. ZIPP's will set u back at least $1700 for 404's. On eBay you can get brand new Mavic Cosmic Carbone SL Premium for between $1100 - $1200. I love the wheels. Not only do they look great, but perform great a well.

Similar Products Used:
My stock wheels are Mavic Ksyrium Elites.

OVERALLRATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

nickcach Triathlete

[Apr 14, 2008]

Strength:

What impressed me the most was their ability to hold high speeds. For long flat rides they are great.

Weakness:
They are a bit harder to get up, primarily due to their weight, but once you get there its smooth sailing!

Fantastic upgrade for the money. ZIPP's will set u back at least $1700 for 404's. On eBay you can get brand new Mavic Cosmic Carbone SL Premium for between $1100 - $1200. I love the wheels. Not only do they look great, but perform great a well.

Similar Products Used:
My stock wheels are Mavic Ksyrium Elites.

OVERALLRATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

seanmdo
Road Racer [Mar 31, 2008]

Strength:

Great looking wheels (look great on my raw aluminum frame), that aero sound, easy tire mounting, softened the rough road, feel smooth, great at speeds (was cruising along at 27 mph no problem), good for sprints, much less expensive than other popular wheelset (e.g. Zipp, Mavic reputation for durability), very smooth rolling

Weakness:

takes a little more effort to get them going. The spokes are attached at the rim, not the carbon fairing which means that the carbon fairing has holes in it for the spokes to pass through... meaning when raining, rain might get inside the wheel... Has not been a problem for me but, it could be... I'd just use different wheels for that.

This is for a set of 2007 Mavic Cosmic Carbone SL premiums. Good wheels, good looking, good value. I rated this product a 4 b/c I haven't tried the Zipp 404s yet (which everyone tells me I'll love) I would need to spend some time on other wheels before making a true assessment as to value etc... I see these wheels all over the local Crit racing scene, so there must be something to them.

Similar Products Used:
Ksyrium Elites (which I use as my primary training wheels)

OVERALLRATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

seanmdo Road Racer

[Mar 31, 2008]

Strength:

Great looking wheels (look great on my raw aluminum frame), that aero sound, easy tire mounting, softened the rough road, feel smooth, great at speeds (was cruising along at 27 mph no problem), good for sprints, much less expensive than other popular wheelset (e.g. Zipp, Mavic reputation for durability), very smooth rolling

Weakness:
takes a little more effort to get them going. The spokes are attached at the rim, not the carbon fairing which means that the carbon fairing has holes in it for the spokes to pass through... meaning when raining, rain might get inside the wheel... Has not been a problem for me but, it could be... I'd just use different wheels for that.

This is for a set of 2007 Mavic Cosmic Carbone SL premiums. Good wheels, good looking, good value. I rated this product a 4 b/c I haven't tried the Zipp 404s yet (which everyone tells me I'll love) I would need to spend some time on other wheels before making a true assessment as to value etc... I see these wheels all over the local Crit racing scene, so there must be something to them.

Similar Products Used:
Ksyrium Elites (which I use as my primary training wheels)

OVERALLRATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

stenderson
Road Racer [Jan 19, 2008]

Strength:

Aerodynamic (nobody can catch up going downhill ;-)), looks (especially with the weaving-pattern showing and the less-dominant letters on it), stiffness.

Weakness:

Already broke one carbon rim, when a friend scraped it with his pedal. This is already fixed by insurance, however. It is also not really lightweight, but that's what makes it suitable for daily use

Bought these wheel at the start of the last road-season. Main drive for buying was that I wanted a carbon wheelset to finish off the carbon rest-of-the-bike. When you want a carbon wheelset for daily use, then this is the one

Similar Products Used:
Mavic Ksyrium

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

stenderson Road Racer

[Jan 19, 2008]

Strength:

Aerodynamic (nobody can catch up going downhill ;-)), looks (especially with the weaving-pattern showing and the less-dominant letters on it), stiffness.

Weakness:
Already broke one carbon rim, when a friend scraped it with his pedal. This is already fixed by insurance, however. It is also not really lightweight, but that's what makes it suitable for daily use

Bought these wheel at the start of the last road-season. Main drive for buying was that I wanted a carbon wheelset to finish off the carbon rest-of-the-bike. When you want a carbon wheelset for daily use, then this is the one